Counseling Center

Counseling Center Information

Texas Woman's University strives to provide an educational environment that affirms the rights and dignity of each individual, fosters diversity, and encourages a respect for the differences among persons. Discrimination or harassment of any kind is considered inappropriate.

Texas Woman's University is committed to equal opportunity in employment and education and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, veteran's status, or against persons with disabilities.

Mission

The TWU Counseling Center provides services which help students to achieve their educational goals, to learn the process of problem solving and decision making, to develop the capacity for satisfying relationships, and to make full use of their potential for continued growth beyond their educational experience. It is the only campus agency designated to provide psychological services solely to students.

Philosophy

Counseling services are founded on the belief that individuals possess an inherent desire to develop themselves fully, and to make choices and commitments which lead to rewarding lives for themselves and for members of the communities in which they live.

As students are challenged by the developmental hurdles specific to their age and life experiences, they require knowledge, abilities, support, and an accepting environment within which to develop their individuality. A primary focus of counseling services is to help each student experience the fullness of her or his developmental potential.

The Counseling Center supports the philosophy that the quality of the client-therapist relationship is central to effective intervention and endorses the value of an integrative approach to treatment. The clinical staff also integrates a multicultural and relational/interpersonal perspective to case conceptualization and treatment.

Services

Counseling Center services continue to grow and develop, in order to maintain sensitivity to the changing needs of the university's population. A comprehensive array of services is offered, including counseling/psychotherapy (individual, group, and couples), crisis intervention, intern and practicum training, consultation, outreach programming, psychological and career assessment, national test administration, and dissemination of self-help information.

Staff

The professional staff includes 6 full-time staff psychologists on the Denton campus, 1post-doctoral resident, and 3 full-time doctoral psychology interns. Psychiatric services are contracted with private practitioners and are also provided by TWU Student Health Services. Four practicum students provide additional counseling services on the Denton campus during the fall and spring semesters. There is one full-time licensed psychologist and one half-time psychologist on the Dallas campus and one full-time psychologist and one half-time psychologist on the Houston campus. In addition to the Counseling Center training staff, three Associate Training Staff from the Department of Psychology also provide supervision and training for interns. Please see Training Staff and Interns for a list of current supervisors and interns.

Clerical staff in Denton includes two full-time secretaries and one part-time student assistant.

Client Population

TWU's commitment to providing a "learning environment that empowers and affirms the full development of women" (TWU General Catalog, 1995-1997, p. 3) attracts a wide variety of women who are similarly committed to their own development. In assisting that development, the Counseling Center serves a predominantly female but otherwise quite diverse client population. Academic classifications of Counseling Center clients range from first year students through doctoral students, and the average age is around 28. Approximately 40 percent of the student population is ethnically diverse (primarily African American, Latina(o), International, and multi-ethnic), over 50 percent of the clients are involved in some type of committed relationship, about one third have children, and 10 percent self-identify as lesbian/gay or bisexual. About half have been in counseling elsewhere before receiving counseling services at TWU. The largest majority of our clients seek assistance for personal and relationship concerns, many of which are fairly serious and/or long-standing (e.g., sexual abuse, depression, suicide, emotional/physical abuse, loss, family dysfunction/substance abuse). Please see Characteristics of the Counseling Center Clients for a more detailed breakdown of client characteristics.

Hours of Operation

During the fall and spring semesters, the Counseling Center begins its operation at 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. Evening hours (until 7 p.m.) are available Monday through Wednesday and the Center closes at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday each week. The Center is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. during summer semesters and breaks.

Facilities

The Counseling Center on the Denton campus is centrally located in West Jones Hall, a former residence hall for students. The Counseling Center occupies two floors and a total of 22 rooms. The ground floor houses the general Counseling Center activities; staff and trainee offices are comparably furnished and distributed between both floors. All rooms have large windows and are equipped for individual counseling and small group functions. All offices are the same size.